This is the 7-step process an elite football club uses when signing a new superstar

If you thought signing a big-money footballer was as simple as
getting a chequebook out, think again.

The summer transfer market — a period where players can be bought
and sold — officially opened on June 9 (June 1 in Italy). Right
now, the best clubs Europe has to offer are all looking to
strengthen their squads ahead of the new football season.

2017-2018 could be a record-shattering season for transfer
spending as elite footballers like AS Monaco forward Kylian
Mbappe, Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard, and Borussia Dortmund
striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all been linked with
high-profile transfers in the coming months.

Mike Rigg, the transfer market guru who helped usher in a new era
at Manchester City, told Business Insider that there is a
seven-step process involved in signing a superstar footballer. A
process that can take months — and even years — to
complete.

Rigg joined City as Technical Director and Head of Player
Acquisitions in 2008, just before the club was taken over by Abu
Dhabi United Group.

At the time, precious little was known about the private equity
firm who had just bought City, ushering in Emerati entrepreneur
and Abu Dhabi royal advisor Khaldoon Al Mubarak as club chairman.

Al Mubarak had one clear objective, according to Rigg. "Khaldoon
came in and wanted to win the Premier League title."

Rigg had only been in the role for two months when Al Mubarak
bought City and admits he did not "have time to think too much
[about the takeover]" as he "had to hit the ground running."

Rigg wanted to revolutionise the adminstrative structure at City.

Here, he explains each step in detail.

Step 1: Consolidate a player acquisition department.

Manchester City was not Rigg's first role at a Premier League
club as he had previously worked as the chief scout at Blackburn
Rovers, assisting Hughes — or "Sparky," to Rigg — in talent
spotting.

Rigg "professionalised" the scouting department by "building a
team" who could build profiles on good footballers and identify
the top talent.

That organisational skill benefited Rigg at City. "I wanted to
create a department which mirrored what we tried to do at
Blackburn. But the beauty of what we had at Manchester City was
[that we had] the resources to do it."

"I built a department that included me, Dave Fallows who is now
[director of scouting] at Liverpool, Barry Hunter [now chief
scout at Liverpool], and [head of player recruitment] Gary
Worthington from Chelsea."

In a short space of time, Rigg had developed an organised
football department that consisted of highly-experienced names.
But now it was time to start the hard work…

Step 2: Build a database of knowledge on footballers.

"Khaldoon came in and we knew he wanted the Premier League title,
but [to recruit championship-winning players] we first needed a
database of knowledge on footballers," he said.

It's surprising how extensive this database needs to be. Rigg
said this knowledge on players would include:

What they are like (as a player and as a
person)

Their on-pitch character

Their valuation (what their transfer fee could
cost Manchester City)

Will they sign? (can City successfully
purchase that player)

When it comes to character, Rigg said: "It's not personality per
se but commitment, composure, and all those other intangibles
that make up an athlete's mindset."

"When I [was] watching [former FC Barcelona midfielder] Yaya
[Toure], he played on a Sunday in a league game and then again on
a Wednesday in the Champions League," he said.

"His attitude and desire didn't waver from a lower league team in
La Liga to top competition in Europe. He didn't have to switch it
on for a big game because he was always switched on."

He added: "I'm always looking at what a player's attitude is like
off the ball, what the attitude is like when he loses the ball,
and what his attitude is like during transitions [moving the ball
from defence to offence, or vice versa]."

"You have to measure and record what these characteristics are
like, while building up a profile on the player: married,
children, any preference of living in the country or city. It's a
warts-and-all report, because if you spend £20 million, £30
million, or £50 million, you need to have as big a picture on
this asset as you can."

Step 3: Empower the head coach.

"The head coach should have the first and last say," Rigg said.
"I'd sit down with the head coach and say 'First of all, how do
you want to play, what is your philosophy, and what is the
methodology for this system.'"

"We need to work out the position [they] want and the profile of
the position [they] want. I then go out with the department and
send scouts to certain clubs in certain countries to find quality
footballers who would cover different areas of these
characteristics."

Step 4: Streamline a shortlist of players to identify one asset.

After that initial consultation with the head coach, the player
acquisition department would have a long list of potential
targets. "I'd whittle [that list] down with the business side
[the boardroom], to present five options."

"This is what the coach wants... option number one will cost £25
million, [on a] £100,000 per week contract because he's 24.
Option two is 33 and is available on a free transfer but a decent
wage."

"Each of these options has different pros and cons. But if we
want eight players in a summer transfer window, we can't go for
eight 'option ones' as it'll cost £200 million, and clubs just
don't have that budget for one window."

For Rigg, it then comes down to priorities.

"Defensive midfield may be an absolute priority and a left winger
a second priority, for example. So maybe we go for a mid-20s,
high quality midfielder who would cost a lot of money and an
early-30s winger who would cost less."

"The best model involves the head coach having the first and last
say on the options presented. The last thing I ever wanted to do
was bring in a player who the coach had not bought into. If or
when that occurs, the player spends his time on the bench, not
getting games."

Step 5: Complete the transaction.

After an asset has been identified and the head coach is
emotionally invested, two difficult questions arise.

Can the club afford him?

Will the player sign?

"This is the real beauty of what I do as you never know if you
can get a player until they sign on the dotted line. Fans often
ask why clubs scramble to complete business on the last two days
of the summer market and the answer is simple. It's out of our
control!"

"Every club wants players on the first two days of pre-season
training but some clubs play the market, some agents play the
market. You absolutely never know what will happen."

But completing the deal is only the fifth step in Rigg's process.

Step 6: Medical examination.

The final hurdle in transfer negotiations is the completion of a
medical. These examinations can vary from club to club but
typically involve MRI scans, blood tests, and cardiac screenings.

Club doctors are not the only staff members to examine an
incoming player, as physiotherapists and sports scientists will
also undergo their own tests.

Once the club is satisfied that the player has passed these tests
then it's time to crack open the Champagne. Why? Because
congratulations are in order! You've signed yourself a superstar.

Step 7: Oversee asset aftercare.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Rigg's seven-step process
is the extraordinary aftercare that goes into player acquisition.

"If a player signs, you go back to that database of knowledge and
you know if he has two kids, if one of them is starting nursery,
if one of them is in Year 2, if they need english language
lessons, and if the wife doesn't speak English," he said. "The
club would... 100% recommend schools [for a player's children],
places to live, and all round player and family care and
support."

"We had a big player care department [at City]," he
added. "The idea is that there is a seemless transition for
the footballer so that the only thing the player has to worry
about is football."

"It sounds so obvious but it's so true. If these things are not
taken care of, stresses can arise. Let's not forget, an entire
family could be moving from one country to another. They are
hauling their life, their luggage, and their children to new
foreign surroundings."

"When these things are taken care of, the player is happier and
can focus on football."

As for the superstar signings Rigg is most proud of?

"The players who have come to the club and made a significant
impact in the team are the transfers I'm most proud of," he said.

"Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, and Sergio Aguero… they're
all brilliant. These are brilliant people and have
proven themselves to be brilliant players over a sustained period
of time. They've not only come to the club, but excelled and it
is all the more sweeter when critics said we couldn't get them."

"Look at David Silva. Even I thought there might be a doubt… did
he want to come to Manchester? Sometimes people think players
would prefer London. And traditionally that might be a case."

"But for players like Vinny [Kompany], Pablo [Zabaleta], Sergio
[Aguero], and Yaya [Toure], it wasn't just a case of coming to
live in England and having a lovely little holiday in London,
earning whatever money, it was being involved in a great project
and winning trophies at City."

During Rigg's time at City, the club won two major trophies. And
yes, in 2012, Rigg did help City win club chairman Khaldoon
Al-Mubarak that Premier League title he so desired.

Rigg's greatest achievement, though, is a lasting one, as the
club is still clearly benefitting from the work he produced over
five years ago.